


Loud Enough

by ziskandra



Series: Her Josephine [2]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Meet the Family, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:34:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27068722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ziskandra/pseuds/ziskandra
Summary: Sometimes, the strangers’ gazes drift to the pointed tips of her ears, but before Sera can even glare or growl or challenge, Josephine is diverting the conversation. Her way with words is defter than any rogue’s sleight of hand.After the Inquisition is disbanded, Josephine and Sera travel to Antiva.
Relationships: Josephine Montilyet/Sera
Series: Her Josephine [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1981411
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10
Collections: Little Black Dress Flash 2020





	Loud Enough

**Author's Note:**

  * For [skysedge](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skysedge/gifts).



Sera’s never been to Antiva before. Doesn’t know what to make of it, not really. Her first impression is it’s much like anywhere else she’s ever been. Rich knobs rubbing shoulders in the streets while the poor, the struggling, beg for scraps at their feet.

It reminds her of her time in the alienage.

The only immediate sign that she’s anywhere different is the scent of seawater and spices, intermingling with sewerage leaking _places_ … well, that part was familiar, at least.

But Sera had promised her fiancée she would try to see Antiva City through her eyes, and for Josephine Montilyet, Sera would try anything.

It’s pretty here, she’s got to admit. It might just be another city, but it glitters with an underlying energy that Denerim lacks. The streets might look the same, but there’s bustle and colour and rancour bubbling away just underneath the surface, like if she taps it gently, it’ll ripple and ripple and ripple, relentless until it’s ready to stop.

No wonder this is where Josephine grew up. It’s just like her. How could she be from anywhere else? What was the saying, again? You could take the woman out of Antiva, but you couldn’t take the Antiva out of the woman.

In this moment, Sera realises just how true that is.

Sera thought maybe things would be different here, that Josephine wouldn’t be so willing to have Sera hanging off her elbow in her hometown, so far away from the Inquisition (disbanded, thanks to that stuffy, ancient, _whatever_ , elf’s machinations) and the threats they’d faced together. Yet Josephine links their arms and introduces her to all the people that incline their heads at them as they pass by in the street. “This is Sera,” she tells them, “my betrothed.” _Betrothed_ , she says, that fancy word that nobles use to make an imminent marriage sound like a business contract instead of something that symbolises the formation of a new family. Sera prefers to think of it as a promise to build a life together, through thick and thin.

Sometimes, the strangers’ gaze drift to the pointed tips of her ears, but before she can even glare or growl or challenge, Josephine is diverting the conversation. Her way with words is defter than any rogue’s sleight of hand.

Andraste’s tits, there’s _so many_ introductions. Does her fiancée know everyone in the whole damned city?

Of course, she does. That’s just the type of woman her Josephine is.

_Her Josephine._

She’d never thought she’d be so lucky. Hadn’t wanted to be, initially. Had thought Josephine was just like all those other nobles, just a bit better at pretending to care. Except that wasn’t it, was it? The more time Sera spent around Josephine, the more she realised that some days, the former Ambassador of the Inquisition hated nobles almost as much she did. Just less loudly.

And you know what, that suited Sera just fine. She could be loud enough for the both of them.

“How much further is it?” Sera asks as they approach the docks. Not because her feet hurt or anything (although they do, a bit), but because the longer she waits the more tightly the knot pulls in her gut, like it’s wrapping around her insides, making it difficult to breathe. What if Josephine’s parents hate her? What if they don’t think Sera’s, well, _good_ enough for their daughter?

What if they’re right?

“I can make out the masts in the distance,” says Josephine, a thrum of excitement belying her cool and calm demeanour. This may be Sera’s first time in Antiva but it’s also the first time Josephine’s got to see her family’s new ships in person, and that’s got to mean something, that.

Sera gives Josephine’s arm a squeeze and the other woman turns to face her, concern weighing heavily upon her brow. _Oh, shite,_ Sera thinks. Josephine can tell something’s up. “Copper for your thoughts, my love?”

Letting out a low, low whistle, like she doesn’t even know where to start, Sera hooks the thumb of her spare hand into one of her belt loops and fiddles with it there as she tries to find the words. She’d thought she’d been getting better at this. Had even fumbled her way through her proposal to Josephine, just like planned. The words rush out of her before she can stop to think about them.

“What do you like about me?” she asks.

To Josephine’s credit, she doesn’t hesitate, not even to ask why, why Sera’s asking. It’s like she just _knows_. “Many things,” she begins in a low, low tone, which Sera thinks is _totally_ unfair to use in public. “Your exuberance. Your passion. The look on your face when I kiss that spot on your neck—”

Sera cuts her off with a light shove to the shoulder. Is it getting hot in here, or is just her? “Shut up,” she says, delighted but fuming. “You don’t agree, right? Sometimes. My methods, that is.” She doesn’t mean to sound aggressive, defensive, but maybe she does. It’s hard to tell.

Josephine smiles. “It would be a boring world indeed if we agreed on everything.” Sensing that Sera wants more clarification, however, she continues smoothly, “I meant what I said. It is refreshing to be with someone I don’t have to hold back around.”

Right. Well. That works, placates Sera for a bit, distracts her from the knot in her stomach. Maybe this hasn’t all been a terrible mistake. Maybe this is actually all going to work out for her.

Maker, she wants it to work out.

There’s a joke on the tip of Sera’s tongue about her lover’s passion in the bedroom when they’re interrupted by the shrill yell of Josephine’s name in the near distance.

“Ah,” Josephine says mildly. “That will be my sister, Yvette.”

Yvette comes running up towards them, faster than Sera’s ever seen Josephine yell, for sure. When Yvette’s arms stretch out, Sera’s thinks they’re going to wrap around Josephine. That would make sense, yeah?

What Sera definitely doesn’t expect is to be pulled into a tight hug.

“Welcome to the family,” says Yvette.

The knot in Sera's gut loosens, like it was never there at all.


End file.
